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This asbestos-identification article illustrates how to recognize ceiling tiles that may contain asbestos.This document assists building buyers, owners or inspectors who need to identify asbestos materials (or probable-asbestos) in buildings by simple visual inspection. We provide photographs and descriptive text of asbestos insulation and other asbestos-containing products to permit identification of definite, probable, or possible asbestos materials in buildings.

While an expert lab test using polarized light microscopy may be needed to identify the specific type of asbestos fiber, or to identify the presence of asbestos in air or dust samples, many asbestos-containing building products not only are obvious and easy to recognize, but since there were not other look-alike products that were not asbestos, a visual identification of this material can be virtually a certainty in many cases.

See ASBESTOS FIREPROOFING SPRAY-On Coatings for photos of dangerous tremolite asbetsos ceiling panels and photos of spray-on asbestos fireproofing coatings. Also see CEILING FINISHES INTERIOR and see Asbestos HVAC Ducts a field identification guide to visual detection of asbestos in and on heating and cooling system ducts and flue vents. Also see Micro-Photographs of Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack. Links to U.S. government and other authoritative research and advice are included.

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ASBESTOS FIBER-CONTAINING - Examples of materials that might contain asbestos fibers

CEILING TILES - Asbestos suspect ceiling tiles

Some acoustic ceiling tiles contain asbestos. If renovation is planned it may be smart to simply handle this material as if it contained asbestos particles. In these photographs of older square ceiling tiles the photo (below left) shows a smooth ceiling tile and the second photo (below right) an acoustic ceiling tile with its characteristic pattern of holes.

Both of these products might contain asbestos fibers, though the principal material is usually cellulose.

The larger suspended ceiling segment, 2'x4' in size (photo above right), was pushed aside to show the older layers of ceiling materials above. The suspended ceiling tile, if made of fiberglass or cellulose is not a likely asbestos fiber source.

Our concern in this particular instance was that the entire cavity above the suspended ceiling was being used as an air conditioning return air plenum, exposing all of the building HVAC system and occupants to whatever particles were released by materials in the cavity, including possibly asbestos from the older layer of acoustic ceiling tiles.

The remediation contractor removed all of these layers to expose (and clean) the concrete ceiling above prior to installing a new suspended ceiling.

More Asbestos-Suspect Ceiling Tile Photographs

Our perforated acoustic ceiling tile photo (below-left) shows that these particular asbestos-containing ceiling materials were also sometimes applied to a vertical wall. Below right we show a different pattern of asbestos-suspect ceiling tiles found in a government building we examined in Poughkeepsie, NY.

As you can see, these acoustic ceiling tiles over a wet area can support mold growth. See MOLD INFORMATION CENTER.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Asbestos-containing Ceiling Tiles

Question: How do I test Ceiling Tiles for Asbestos?

A hardware store employee told me to use the lead paint test kit on one of the acoustic ceiling tiles. He said that, after all these years (since 1965) it would show positive for lead, if in fact the tiles contain asbestos. Is this true? - Deb.

Reply: visual inspection plus sample collection to send to a certified asbestos testing laboratory

Deb, a lead paint test has nothing to do with and is not capable of detecting asbestos in building products. The hardware store guy who told you to use a lead paint test to screen for asbestos was mistaken.

1. First make a visual inspection of the ceiling tile or panel. Some products can be positively identified as fiberglass or compact fiberglass - not an asbestos material, as you'll see illustrated in our photos in the next Q&A just below. Also see ASBESTOS-FREE INSULATION MATERIALS.
2. Next, contact a local certified asbestos testing lab in your area or use one of the national labs that confirms that they are certified for asbestos testing. The lab can give you specific sample collection instructions. Also see ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Wetting Guidelines. Typically the asbestos test makes use of polarized light microscopy, is quick, and is not expensive. The result will tell you if your ceiling product contains asbestos and if so what type of asbestos (hazard levels vary) and at what level.
3. Watch out: dust from demolition of many building products can be irritating and even harmful regardless of whether or not the material contains asbestos fibers or particles. Good dust control measures can avoid spreading dust throughout the building during material removal or remodeling, and proper personal protection can protect workers as well.

Question: Are These Asbestos Ceiling Tiles?

Greetings, I hope you could help us identify if this ceiling material used contains asbestos. Kindly validate. Thank you. [unsigned, sent from Blackberry]

Reply: Unlikely. The ceiling tiles in this photo look like plastic-coated fiberglass suspended ceiling panels

A competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that help accurately diagnose a problem or might find asbestos containing materials that you have not noticed.

That said, - no the material shown in your photo looks like fiberglass panels used in a suspended ceiling; the panels include a white plastic surface that faces down into the room, sometimes the surfaces may have been painted to cover stains.

Do not assume, based on a single item that has caught your eye, that there are no asbestos materials in the building, and of course there could be other environmental or even indoor air quality in the building.

The presence of what looks like thermal tracking stains present on the edges of the fiberglass suspended ceiling panels in your photo and the fact that it looks as if the panels may have been painted could be clues about un-wanted air leakage and possible water leaks from above.

Watch out: normally asbestos-containing materials are not validated nor in-validated based on free emails sent to a stranger. But in this case the contents of the photo above are rather apparent.

At left we show a cache of older 9-inch ceiling tiles found in the attic of an older home. These ceiling tiles might be an asbestos containing material. We expected to find multiple layers of ceilings in this pre-1900 home, some of which were likely to make use of 1960's era acoustic ceiling tiles like the ones in our photo.

Question: Do some Celotex® ceiling tiles contain asbestos?

We bought a house that was built in the 50's - it has what I THINK is a Celotex ceiling (or some copy of Celotex) - it's in horrible shape and needs to be taken down - what are your thoughts on it containing asbestos, considering the age? - Saundra

Reply: Yes. Here is a list of Celotex® fiber-board, ceiling covering, acoustical, sound control & other products that may contain asbestos

Saundra,

Keep in mind that Celotex and other insulating board panel and ceiling tile and panel manufacturers produced a range of products, many of which may contain asbestos, but others made of organic fibers, wood fibers, cane fibers may not contain asbestos. The Celotex ceiling products division was sold to Certainteed Saint-Gobain beginning in 1999. Certainteed continues to produce and sell both fiberglass and mineral-fiber ceiling products, as well as gypsum based ceiling materials. You may find look-alike products by searching that company's product catalogs.

Modern ceiling products do not contain asbestos. Using Certainteed as an example, [www.certainteed.com] you can obtain an MSDS (Material Data Safety Sheet) for each of the company's products. Common modern ceiling product ingredients include fibrous glass wool, urea formaldehyde resin, and fiberboard products contain slag wool, starch, cellulose [wood fibers], perlite, crystalline silica, and clay. It's worth noting that even modern building products can present health hazards if they are not handled properly. For example crystalline silica can cause nose, throat, and lung irritation. [6]

If you are not sure of the product brand and age of the ceiling covering, and are not sure whether or not the product contains asbestos, and if we accept as a "given" that your ceiling covering needs to be removed, there are two reasonable ways to proceed:

• Dampen and remove a small sample of the material (about 1 sq.in.) and send it to a certified asbestos testing lab for identification. Typically the test is inexpensive (less than $100), and the result can close any argument about how to proceed with handling the material.

or

• Assume based on age (for example an acoustical ceiling installed before 1973) that the material may contain asbestos and handle its removal accordingly. To be safe, I'd assume that an acoustical ceiling product made before 1981 contains asbestos, and I'd keep in mind that a ceiling installed even in the few years after 1981 could have made use of old stock made before that date.
  
  Follow recommended procedures for wetting, dust control, bagging, personal protection of workers, and disposal. See ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Wetting Guidelines.
  
  For most projects and certainly any area as large as a basement ceiling, we recommend hiring a professional company who knows proper demolition and cleaning procedures. An amateur job of asbestos removal, even if it is legally permitted in your area, risks not only health hazards to the workers, but also the creation of a still more costly cleanup job if proper dust and debris control procedures are not followed.

To elaborate your question about asbestos-containing products made by Celotex, the company produced a wide range of fiber-based insulation products such as insulating boards and panels and the company continues to produce modern (non-asbestos-containing) versions of those products today. At SHEATHING Homasote & Other Board we include identifying photographs of some Celotex products.

Alphabetical List of Celotex insulating products believed to contain asbestos:

• Acoustical Systems & Sound Control Systems [1]
  • Acoustical ceiling panels
  • Insulating panels
• Cane fiber products [2]
  • Celotex sheathing,
  • Celotex insulating lath (board),
  • Celotex interior finish,
  • Celo-Siding
• Celo-Rok Gypsum products [may contain asbestos]: [2]
  • Celo-Rok anchor lath,
  • Celo-Rock wallboards,
  • Celo-Rok plasters
• Insulating building panels or "fiberboards:
  • Celotex Cemesta products [2]
  • Thermo-board
  • Carey Flex Board
  • Carey Millboard (asbestos cement millboard) - also see
• Other Building insulation products
  • Carey 7-M Asbestos Shorts
  • Carey Block Insulation & Careytemp masonry block insulation and blocks
  • Carey Insulating Cement, CareyTemp insulating cement, & Carey MW-50 Insulating Cement
• Building plumbing products
  • Carey Pipe Covering & Careytemp pipe insulation
• Building roofing products
  • Carey Fiberock Felt
  • Careystone Corrugated Sheet
• Building interior products
  • Carey Asphalt Floor Tile

...

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Questions & answers about how to identify ceiling tiles that contain asbestos.

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ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings
  ASBESTOS AIR DUCTS
  Asbestos Air Duct Vibration Dampers
  ASBESTOS in CARPETING, PADDING
  ASBESTOS CEILING TILES, Asbestos-Containing
  ASBESTOS DUCTS, HVAC
  ASBESTOS DUCT INSULATION, Asbestos Paper
  ASBESTOS DUCTS, Transite Pipe
  ASBESTOS FIREPROOFING SPRAY-On Coatings
  ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION
  ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE Laboratory Procedures
  ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE
  ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
  ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE
  Asbestos Foamed-Over
  ASBESTOS INSULATION
  ASBESTOS PAPER DUCT INSULATION
  ASBESTOS PIPE INSULATION
  ASBESTOS ROOFING, CEMENT & FIBER CEMENT
  ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING DUST
  ASBESTOS SIDING CEMENT & FIBER CEMENT
  Asbestos in unusual places
  Asphalt-asbestos Paints & sealants
  Carbon Nanotube Materials
  TRANSITE PIPE AIR DUCTS
  Transite Pipe Chimneys & Flues
  Transite Pipe Water Supply Piping
  VERMICULITE INSULATION

• 3/07: thanks to Gary Randolph, Ounce of Prevention Home Inspection, LLC Buffalo, NY, for attentive reading and editing suggestions. Mr. Randolph can be reached in Buffalo, NY, at (716) 636-3865 or email: gary@ouncehome.com
• 06/07: thanks for photographs of transite asbestos heating ducts, courtesy of Thomas Hauswirth, Managing Member of Beacon Fine Home Inspections, LLC and (in 2007) Vice President, Connecticut Association of Home Inspectors Ph. 860-526-3355 Fax 860-526-2942 beaconinspections@sbcglobal.net
• [1] Celotex 1973 Celotex Acoustical Systems catalog, January 1973
• [2] Celotex Home Building Materials, 1947 catalog, lists: Cane fiber products: Celotex sheathing, Celotex insulating lath (board), Celotex interior finish, Celo-Siding, Celo-Rok Gypsum products [may contain asbestos]: Celo-Rok anchor lath, Celo-Rock wallboards, Celo-Rok plasters, and Other Products: Celotex rock wool, Celotex roofing, Celotex hard boards, Celotex Cemesta, Celotex Corporation, Chicago IL
• [3] Celotex Insulating Cane Board, product catalog
• [4] Celotex Building Insulating Materials, 1948 Catalog, listing: Cemesto insulation, Cemesto roof decks, Cemesto exterior wall coverings, Cemesto interior wall coverings [we believe the Cemesto lines refer to cement-asbestos products - ed. ]
• [5] Celotex Sound Conditioning, 1948 Catalog, including perforated asbestos board sheets
• Celotex ceiling products division was purchased by Ceiling Products & Gypsum Wallboard (BPB) of the U.K. beginning in 1999
• Celotex roofing products division was purchased by Certainteed Corporation (Valley Forge PA) beginning in 1999
• [6] Certainteed Ceilings, Adagio fiberglass/mineral fiber composite acoustical ceiling product MSDS, web search 11/22/2011, original source: certainteed.com/resources/Adagio_MSDS_2010.pdf
• "Board of Education for the School District of the City of Detroit v. Celotex, et al., Circuit Court of Wayne County, Michigan, No. 84-429634-ND"

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

Asbestos Hazard, Testing, Removal, References & Products

• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
• ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings How to find and recognize asbestos in buildings - visual inspection methods, list of common asbestos-containing materials
• Asbestos Identification and Testing References
• Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
• Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
• Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone
• Asbestos in Good Condition
• Asbestos in Good Condition
• Asbestos in Your Home U.S. EPA, Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
• Asbestos HVAC Ducts and Flues field identification photos and guide
• Asbestos NESHAP Adequately Wet Guidance, EPA340/1-90-019, December 1990, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Stationary Source Compliance Division, Washington, DC 20460,original web source: http://www.epa.gov/region04/air/asbestos/awet.htm
• Asbestos paper duct wrap
• Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print, text and images available at InspectAPedia.com).
• Asbestos Transite Chimneys, Flues, & Pipes in buildings
• Asbestos under the microscope
• Asbestos Vibration Dampers & Asbestos in the Air Handler
• Ceiling tiles: How to recognize ceiling tiles that may contain asbestos
• Examples of unusual uses of asbestos in buildings
• Fiberglass: Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Health Concerns About Airborne Fiberglass: Fiberglass in Indoor Air from HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
• Enviro-Scare: Electric Power Lines, Electromagnetic Fields, Cancer Risk, & "Enviro-Scare" - The Normal Curve Cycle of Public Fear of Environmental Issues
• Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack: the lower floors of this building contained spray-on fire-proofing asbestos materials.
• Asbestos Information Links: Asbestos Detection, Testing, Recognition, Hazards, Field Photos, and Information Sources, including health-related links such as legal services and information about mesothelioma and other cancers.
• "Handling Asbestos-Containing roofing material - an update", Carl Good, NRCA Associate Executive Director, Professional Roofing, February 1992, p. 38-43
• EPA Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in buildings, NIAST, National Institute on Abatement Sciences & Technology, [republishing EPA public documents] 1985 ed., Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460